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Little Parachutes Gold Star Winner
Categories: Anxiety, Being Different & Being Yourself, Death & Bereavement, Depression in Family, Sadness

The Red Tree

A sensitive and honest insight into feeling lost, confused and alone, with an uplifting reminder that things will be okay. Hope is always there, waiting to be found.
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The Red Tree

Author: Shaun Tan
Illustrator: Shaun Tan
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

“Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to and things go from bad to worse”

A small, red leaf follows a young girl through her day, where she feels alone in a dark and surreal world. It appears on each page, hidden somewhere in the image. The reader is navigated through her fragmented and complex emotive landscape with frank and evocative language and illustrations, which perfectly express the inexplicable. After a challenging day of difficult thoughts and feelings, the girl returns home to discover the red leaf waiting for her. The leaf blossoms into a beautiful red tree and ends the story with an uplifting symbol of hope, renewal and inspiration.

The Red Tree is an uplifting and empowering picture book. It makes the complex simple and bursts with beautiful illustrations that truly emphasise the idea that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. For children that struggle to express how they’re feeling, this book could offer a valuable and powerful acknowledgment of their inner struggles and provide them with comfort and knowledge that things will get better.

The honesty in the language and imagery is empathetic and respectful of a person’s emotional experience, regardless of whether that person is young or old. We’re all emotive beings, and this book can open up an intergenerational dialogue and encourage talking about feelings to promote understanding and healing.

This video link is provided to help an adult assess the book's suitability for a child's situation before purchasing it. It has been filmed by a third party and hosted on YouTube and is not made by Little Parachutes. More info

The messages we found in this book:

Acknowledgement:

  • Sometimes the world is overwhelming, confusing and scary.
  • You might feel alone and lost.

Guidance:

  • Even in times of difficulty, keep going. Keep trying to learn, explore and create. You will always find your way home (either physically or symbolically, e.g. to the one’s who love you and are there for you, even if you don’t notice in times of struggle)

Hope & Inspiration:

  • The little red tree will be waiting for you and it will be “just as you imagined it would be.”
  • The ‘red leaf’ is always there, even if you don’t notice it straight away
  • Things will get better
  • Even though there’s lots of bad, there is also good
Review by: Chloe Dominique

Categories: Anxiety, Being Different & Being Yourself, Death & Bereavement, Depression in Family, Sadness
Tags: abuse, anxiety, depression, divorce, dyslexia, emotions, loneliness, mental health



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What is a Parachute Book?

A challenging experience can make a young child feel as if they are in emotional free fall. As a parent, you can’t stop them falling, but you can offer them a softer landing:
a Parachute Book.

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The information provided on the Little Parachutes website is not a substitute for professional care by a qualified practitioner, and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you are concerned about the health and wellbeing of yourself or children in your care, you should always consult an appropriate healthcare professional.